Vale was bustling with activity, every man, woman, and child was getting ready for the Vytal Festival. Cars drove by, bicycles were parked and people walked the pavement with jovial steps.

As for one person(?) it's different. He had been lost, like really lost. As if he tried catching a train to New York but ended up in Beijing for some reason. At least, that is what it felt to Sherman.

'I swear I got to where that call came from. Did my Seam Travel get distorted or something? I need to ask citizens here but I don't even know how they would feel.'

The tank in question was moving along the pavement, the same ones used by pedestrians walking along - present to himself but absent to the outside world. Separated in between realities, he seeks out a place where he could find help.

His treads stop as he stares at a quaint building, the area wasn't densely populated and it looked like a nice shop.

'A bookstore, Tukson's Book Trade? A bookie oughta know where someplace here called Beacon and maybe a girl named Ruby Rose.'

He shrinks himself small enough to go through the gap under the door. He couldn't open it normally since he's can't interact with anything in the Seam.

Sherman expands back to a reasonable size so he could still look around. 'Is no one here?' Spotting no one behind the counter or around the store, he assumes they're further inside.

'I hope this Tukson fellow doesn't mind me being here. I need to get to Ruby no matter what.'

He exits the Seam, revealing himself to the world. His barrel carefully aligns with the bell as he gently pushes down.

*DING!*

"Hold on!" A voice came from the doors behind the desk. "Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every-" he pauses and does a double take. A tank's barrel was pointing at him, it wasn't huge but the tank was at eye level and Tukson had to reassess his sanity.

"Hello."

The Faunus drops the books carried by him, his jaw was threatening to drop but it was discourteous, whatever his customer may be. At least it wasn't the White Fang, who knows what could happen if they caught him here?

"…How may I help you?" It could be fear or curiosity but Tukson wasn't going to judge. How the thing in front of him ended up not wrecking the front door was a mystery to him.

The tank was appreciative that someone could stay somewhat calm. Normally, people wouldn't take kindly to someone pointing a gun at them.

"Do you have a map of this city? I need to go to someplace called Beacon. Do you think you can get me there?"

Tukson was surprised, it was a normal question. "Sure. Let me get a map from the back. Although, I need to ask. Why do you want to go to Beacon?"

"There's someone I need to meet, Ruby Rose. Does the name ring a bell?"

"No-" He pauses. "-actually." Tukson suddenly recalls a specific regular talking about it on a random topic. "Is the person you're talking about wear lots of red and black clothing?"

"That's how she should look like."

Tukson nodded, he recalls Blake talking about a friend of hers that matches the description. "Then you're in luck... Uh?"

"Sherman. Can I look at the map?"

"Right, I forgot. Be right back." Tukson swung open the door, walked over to a shelf and sifted through books, and opens an old-looking map of Vale. He returns to the tank and laid the map on the table. "Sorry, I can't use my scroll for... reasons."

Sherman looked at the map before seeing any action in trying to remember the part. He gave up as soon as he saw the winding paths around Vale and toward where the Bullheads were located.

"I can't really remember this stuff."

"Well, if you really need my help then I can accompany you towards the bullhead. Although, I'm not sure if anyone would see you as not a threat to public order."

"No worries on that, come closer."

Tukson raised an eyebrow, the tank remained quite calm while talking. He trusted it enough to try anyways. "What now?

The tanks shrink to the size of half a thumb. Tukson looked in awe at the machine resizing itself in such a short time. He crouches down and reached out to the tiny tank.

Tukson picks it up and puts it up close to where his eyes were. "Amazing. I'll have Blake explain it as another story eventually. If you are looking for a friend then I can always put aside time for my favorite regulars."

"Thanks, Tukson."


Somewhere within Beacon, everyone heard these exact words, "Noooooooo!"

It was a simple phrase but within the continuous howls were the signs of a lot of distress. Ruby Rose was an upcoming Huntress but the real world was going to show how much it actually hurts to be one.

"It costs 999 Lien just for one bullet?! I don't know what to do Tiger, I only get 100 Lien a week for my allowance!"

Within the world of Remnant, every material needed for gunpowder was higher compared to the readily available dust. No common shop owner sold the materials for gunpowder because they had no demand, so those that do stock it have to make up for the loss by raising the price.

She had encountered the worse foe imaginable, economics. Ruby had her own great depression to worry about while Tiger stared at her with understanding.

"Well, you can always get Government IOUs. It worked for my people and it should work for you too."

Ruby looked up from her wallowing on the floor. "Tiger, I don't think we have those. What else should I do? Maybe I can find a part-time job or ask dad for more money."

"Those are good ideas. Find something that needs hard labor, I can help you with that."

"Really? I don't want to burden you though."

"Ruby, I may not be the German backbone of the panzer forces but I am a heavy tank. Dealing with burdens is what I do best, especially my transmission. Except when it breaks but that's beside the point."

"I'll try... I think we need to get back to the others. I kinda forgot we had to face punishment for this morning."

*BOOM!*

Ruby looks in the direction of where a resounding explosion echoes. It looked like a trail of smoke had left where the lockers were and crashed into the dorms where they stayed.

"I think someone just called their locker to the dorms. Miss Goodwitch is not going to be happy."

Ruby was the one carrying Tiger around, being smaller made him weigh a lot less which is probably why the small girl could heft him around. To be fair, Ruby lugged around a giant scythe for a weapon.

As they rounded a corner, Tiger felt his tracks grow weary and a jolt of electricity going through his mind. Something was wrong, he could feel it.

"Ruby, wait."

Ruby stops running, she looks around just in case Tiger saw something out of the ordinary. "What is it, Tiger?"

"I feel a strong disturbance. Let me down." Ruby did as told as she stepped back and saw Tiger enlarge and tried fitting in the hallway. "I don't know why but something is telling me that my natural enemy is arriving."

"Natural enemy?"

Around another corner, it came to view. Tiger stared in shock and on instinct started enlarging himself to full size and wrecking the dorms again while angling his armor. On the other side, the IS-2 does the same but faces his armor directly toward Tiger.

They stood there in silence as Ruby tried to approach. "Tiger?! What's going on..." she finally sees what has been bothering Tiger. "Wait! Don't fight here!" she recalls from her dream that this wasn't going to end well.

"Фашистский ублюдок!"

"Rote-Fick!"

"What did you guys just say?! Please don't start-"

*BOOM!* *BOOM!*

The two exchange fire as soon as both move. The Tiger received a glancing blow while the IS-2 bounced a shot that both ricocheted toward the dorms. Luckily no one was hit but you could get what could happen if the two death machines kept fighting.

Machinegun fire was traded while each of the tanks bulldozed entire rooms, leaving them open as Ruby frantically thought of a way to stop the two from fighting.

"What the hell?! Shorty what's going on!"

She looked at the person screaming and saw Cardin Winchester, Jaune's previous bully, sitting on the toilet while cowering from the explosions and machine guns filling the sound of the dorms.

"No time to explain. Get out of here before they start turning this into no man's land!"

"Uh, are you blind? I'm kind of busy here!" Cardin gestures to him sitting butt naked on the toilet seat while more cannon fire starts moving away from them.

"Fine, I'm going to be the one writing down 'died because he couldn't let out the last one.' on your headstone." she rushes in a bouquet of petals towards the two tanks duking it out in the common rooms.

The Tiger reeled from a shot to its turret ring, it went through and jammed his turning but in the fight, it managed to nick off the tracks on the IS-2. They faced each other with the Tiger staring at the side armor while the IS-2 tracked the Tiger and was going to shoot after they finish reloading.

""Die!""

"Wait!"

Ruby puts herself between the two barrels and hangs on their edges while shouting in a commanding tone. "Stop it! Whatever you two have with one another, just stop! I don't care if you're both cool machines but if you're going to involve people then I'd rather turn you both into scrap metal!"

"You!" she faces the IS-2. "What's your name?"

"Joseph the Second or Iosif the Second."

"Iosif then. What are you here for?"

"To serve you, Ruby."

"Then, please! For the love of the Brothers! Stop. Fighting!"

"But-"

"No buts! And you!" she turns to Tiger. "I know you have a history with Iosif but you are not at war. Either you are going to remain calm and talk this one out or we'll have problems."

Tiger said, "Sorry." to Ruby.

"Nope! Not accepted. Tell it to each other." she points to the soviet tank.

Tiger felt a surge of pain, sure getting admonished by Ruby hurts but apologizing to his eternal enemy? The horror!

"You first, Ivan."

"No, you attacked first, Kraut."

"What no I did not!" he saw Ruby's questioning look. "...Fine! Choke on the apology, filthy Stalinist. I'm sorry that you were offended by how better I am than you."

"What?! You barely got through my armor and only shot off my tracks!"

"I was already going to your side!"

"Well, you-"

"Ahem!" Ruby calls to their attention. "I don't hear anything remotely close to an apology."

"I aM SoRrY." Tiger was the first but it sounded more like an aggressive taunt than an actual heartfelt reconciliation.

"mY ApoLOGiEs." Iosif snarled back. It was obvious none of them actually cared for their words but Ruby sighed and accepted them both.

"See? It wasn't that bad. How do we fix this though? Your tracks are shot off and your turret ring is broken. I have to start taking money out for repairs aren't I?"

The two tanks suddenly realized she was right. ""Oh."" they both said simultaneously. This meant Ruby now had to go broke again just to repair her friends until everything was over.

It was a crazy school day but at least it couldn't be worse-

"Ruby Rose!"

She suddenly gets lifted into the air, her cloak being wrapped with a purple glow as it encased her and dragged her through the air and straight toward a furious Glynda.

Glynda's mouth malformed into the deepest frown she could muster, her head was mostly veins popping out, and her eyes were affixed with redness and a fervent twitch every second.

"Hi, Miss Goodwitch. Uhm... It's not my fault?" Glynda's continuing deformed expression didn't change. Ruby gulped nervously.

"When I walked here thoroughly upset by Xiao Long's and Schnee's conduct. I didn't expect a trouser-less Cardin Winchester running at full speed screaming about a midget bringing destruction to the dorms. So, care to explain why more of the dorms are broken and the lives of many potential Huntsmen and Huntresses are being threatened?"

"Hey, I'm no midget!" Glynda's death stare didn't change. "Ok, I might be a midget but believe me the tanks hated each other and I couldn't stop them until the very last moment when I convinced them to stop!"

"Headmaster's office, now! I already dragged your teammates there so bring over your other friends along!"

Ruby gets dropped to the ground while she groans in abject mental pain. Her eyes started to tear up when she realized she might need to face dire consequences. She was a leader though, a little punishment wouldn't break her.

Glynda walks past and began reconstructing whatever was left of the dorms.

"Ruby." two voices came from behind. "We're uh... sorry that you have to deal with this because of us."

"Iosif? Tiger? I didn't expect you to agree on something. It's nothing, I guess explaining to the headmaster about all this is going to happen eventually. Come on, get smaller. I can carry you both to him and introduce yourselves."

The enemies stare at each other in deep thought. Maybe they really didn't need to fight. They served Ruby, a little conflict wasn't going to stop them from accomplishing that.

"Pft, is that really the best sorry you have, Kraut?"

"I can apologize better than you, Ivan."

Ruby sighed. "You guys will always find a way to fight. I guess it's better than shooting each other. Up we go, let's hope the headmaster is going to understand."

Meanwhile...

Weiss stepped forward into a room that looked like it went through a hurricane, an earthquake, and a volcanic eruption all at the same time.

"Headmaster?"

"Yes? Miss Schnee?"

"Why do you have brown residue near your nostrils?"

Ozpin was sitting on a single chair inside a room with a lot of broken items, a chair snapped into pieces, a bookshelf thrown to the ground, the ceiling filled with Ozpin-sized holes, and a massive gap in the window of the sky-reaching tower.

He nodded and placed a hand under his chin in contemplation as if he was going to start doing philosophy. With his other hand, he wipes off the remaining coffee dust and stared longingly into the distant sky where the window shattered.

"That's a topic reserved for another lesson. A lesson wherein you follow the rules of 'don't have any reason Glynda might be mad at you.' It's a subject I am very well versed in, as you can see by the lack of my desk."

"I guess so. We're in so much deep trouble aren't we?"

"Glynda had to replace her riding crop. I think that's a telltale sign that you might need to prepare for the worse week in your life."


Tukson had a small moment of relief when he saw the Bullhead land safely toward Beacon. The gravity engines slowed down as he and Sherman tucked into his pockets left the Bullhead.

He scrounged through his pockets and let Sherman out to see the world once more. Sherman gazes at the massive castle-like structure and appreciated its make.

"This is nice, I'm surprised you people have this stuff. Well, now that I think about it, Vale looked a tad European to me in the first place," he comments.

"European?"

"Maybe a topic once we get to Blake. Are you sure your bookstore will be fine without you manning it? I know Blake is a friend to you but still."

"Bah, I was about to leave it closed and leave. My stuff is already packed far from there and I was hoping to arrange what I have. I might as well leave Vale by seeing my best client rather than stay there when no one else comes anyways."

"Well, Tukson you're a good man. Why leave Vale though?"

"That's a matter best kept to myself. You can ask Blake though, she would know my situation."

"Hmm... Thank you, really. You can drop me off at the entrance if you think it's too much for you."

"Nonsense, I can get Blake to arrive here as soon as she picks up her messages. It's been a solid 20 minutes since she usually replies within seconds."

"She might be busy."

"You're right. Well, let's head to Beacon then. It's not like I have anyone else I need to meet."

Meanwhile in Tukson's Book Trade...

A woman with medium brown skin slammed her fist into a desk while she searched the empty store. "Damn it! He already packed his bags and took off, I knew Torchwick had a mistake when he couldn't deal with a runaway."

"Relax, Emerald." An associate with grey hair and eyes stood in front of a stand before taking a book and flipping in nonchalantly. "Oh look! This one has a dragon picture on it."

"Relax!? Cinder will be livid!" she screamed.

"Hey, we can always chalk it up to mister eyeliner. It's not like we are responsible for cleaning up his mess. Besides, this one has a comic at the end too!" he points to the book he held.

"Mercury, please deal with this maturely like the man you are."

Gesturing to his lower half he smirks. "Technically I'm half the man I am, no legs remember?"

Emerald groans. "Let's get back, I don't need to deal with your foolishness."

"Woah. Starting to sound like Cindy, what's next you gonna try seducing me?"

"Not in your life."

"Ouch! Your loss."

She scoffs and forces the door open with Mercury following, book in tow - the same one with a dragon picture while he also got a bunch of comic books in his other hand.

"We do have something else while you were storming around the room like a distressed pup." he got out his scroll and tosses it to his partner.

She had a moment to think before opening the scroll and seeing indents on the ground. "What's this? Another addition to your collection of an album for boring pictures?"

"See a little better than that, Emerald. I'm suspecting those patterns on the ground are no random accidents left by our Faunus 'friend'. Anything small is still a good indicator eventually."

"You could say that for a lot of things. Did your dad teach you about that?" she tosses his scroll back to him as he caught it without looking.

"Hah! That bastard of a father didn't teach me that, I learned it to kill him. You know that, Emerald."

"Just saying."


Just to clarify, the tanks can talk to Ruby without getting heard by others but they can choose to talk or not, hence why Sherman can talk normally to Tukson. Also, the Seam is where they look like they disappear, it's the place where they can go around without being seen but can't interact with anything, it's going to feel like an immovable object if they try moving a door or something. So they don't teleport, only show themselves in between the Seams.